Supporting-plate for vehicle-bodies.



. PATBNTBD AUG. 11, 1908. B. W. dz F. M. BURDETTQ SUPPORTING PLATE FOR VEHICLE BODIES.

APPLICATION IILED SEPTJ, 19077..

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENNIE W. BURDETT AX D FREDDIE )1. BURDETT, OF SDIPSOXVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA.

SUI?.r?OR'IING-PLATE FOR VEHICLE-BODIES.

Specification of Letterslatent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1908.

Application filed September 5, 1907. Serial No. 391,486.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatwe, BENNIE W. BUR- DE'IT and FREDDIE H. Btnnn'rr, citizens of the'United States, residing at Simpsonville, in the county of Greenville and State of South Carolina, have invented a new and useful Supporting-Plate for Vehicle-Bodies, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in vehicle bodies and has for its ob ect to pro vide a sim le and efficient means for preventing the bot ies of carriages, es ecially buggies, and the like, from breaking oose at the corners and dropping down, which often happens when the sides of a buggy are subjected to more strain than they are intended to resist. The extra strain thus received causes the sides to break away from the screws at the corners and droo down over the bottom. To avoid this troublie and provide a strong and substantial vehicle is therefore the purpose of this invention.

In the accompanying drawing :Fi 'ure 1 is a perspective view of a corner of abuggy bed as seen from below with the invention alpplied. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view t irough one of the side sills of a bugg bed and attached parts to show more clearly the object of the invention. Fi 3 is a perspective view of the plate embodying the invention, detached.

Similar reference numerals are used throughout to designate like parts.

The buggy bed or body comprises in its construction sides 2, side sills 3 to which said sides are screwed, front and rear ends 4, of which only the rear end is shown, and a bottom 5, all of which parts are well known in the art. End spring buggies, for which this invention is more particularly designed, have attached to each corner a hanger 6, which hangers support the body on the s rings. Each hanger 6 extends longitudina 1y beneath the body some distance from the end thereof and is secured to said body by bolts 7 assing therethrough and through the side sill 3. The outer end of the hanger is bent upward in any well known manner to rest on a sfirn efernng to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the lower edge of theside 2 is in the lane of the under side of the sill 3 as is also t 10 case with 8. This fastening has not been. found secure the end t which is fastened, as usual, to the side 2 through the medium of a corner block in practice, and the side is away from the block and hang down beside the sill. To prevent such accidents and to make the carriage bed more rigid, metal plates 9 are applied to the under side of the sills 3 between said sills and the hangers 6 at each corner of the body and secured by the bolts 7. i

The plate 9 is flat and rectangular in outline, its length being about that of the under body portion of the hanger, and its width equal to the combined width of the side 2 and the sill 3. These dimensions, it is to be understood, are only approximate, as they ma be changed to suit the character of vehicle for which the plate is made. The plate when in place lies for its full length under the side 2 and gives the side efficient support from below so that the fastening means used for holding the side is relieved from the strain and other abnormal conditions to which it is so often subjected. The outer edge 11 of the late, as well as its outer end 12, are beve ed inwardly from its upper face to render the plate invisible. Two slots 13 are made in the plate which register with holes in the hanger. The slots 13 extend longitu-l dinally of the plate 9, so that said plate may be adjusted to fit any form of end spring buggy bed. Holes 14 are made in the plate 9 to receive small screws, nails, or the like, to hold said plate in position while the hamers are being attached. The screws or nai s may be removed or allowed to remain in the plate.

We claim:

The combination with a vehicle body including a bottom, a sill, and a wall, said sill being interposed between the wall and bot tom; of a hanger extending under the sill, a plate interposed between the hanger and the liable to break sill, opposite edge portions of the plate ex- 1 tending iuider and supporting the bottom and wall of the body, and means extending through the sill, plate and hanger for bindin them together.

in testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses. BEXXIE TV. BURDETT. FREDDIE M. BURDETT.

Witne:\ es:

S. T. )IOORE, NELLIE S. Moons. 

